Click for a PDF of the Summer 2011 Pathways Edition.
Table of Contents
Reflections on the 13th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Trails – Abingdon, VA
Young Adult Trail Apprentices Shine at the National Trails Conference
Benefits of Connecting Healthy Scenic and Historic Trails to Healthy Communities
ARTICLE TEXT
Reflections on the 13th National Scenic and Historic Trails Conference
Abingdon, Virginia May 14-18, 2011
The 13th National Scenic and Historic Trails Conference brought together trails leaders from federal agencies, stewardship organizations, and preservation initiatives from all over the country to learn about the many ways trails contribute to healthy communities.
This year’s theme, Healthy Trails — Healthy Communities, was chosen as health issues have captured the public’s attention– from concerns about epidemics of childhood obesity and asthma, to the economic health of communities, to the health of coastal ecosystems inundated with oil.
Workshop sessions were centered around four tracks: Environmental Health and Preservation, Human Health, Educational Health, and Economic Health. We asked the question: How can we demonstrate the value of trails to communities so that they will appreciate, use, support, and sustain them for years to come?
Saturday, May 14
For the first time ever, the partners of the Partnership for the National Trails System participated in Damascus Trail Days, a tribute to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail that is the largest trail and hiking festival in America. PNTS trails partners shared a large tent for informational displays, and passers-by could learn about the stories of individual trails of the National Trails System through a fun educational trivia game.
Many National Scenic and Historic Trails were well-represented in the annual Trail Days Parade through the town, which is known for its casual and enthusiastic (water guns encouraged!) celebration of past and present through-hikers and trail organizations.
The opening reception of the Conference was held as the inaugural event of the Heartwood Artisan Center in Abingdon, Virginia. This gorgeous, brand-new facility opened shortly thereafter and featured the handicrafts and artistry native to Southwestern Virginia. Kaleo Paik, of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, called the event to order with a traditional Hawaiian Pu.
Sunday, May 15
The focus of Sunday was an educational showcase put on by the Overmountain Victory Trail Association (OVTA), a conference host organization. Based on the annual educational event “A Call to Arms” the OVTA organizes for local students, our day at the OVT Muster Grounds featured stations about the various aspects of the story of the OVT and elements of 18th century life in the area. Participants marched in companies from the conference center to the Muster Grounds, where they enjoyed an outdoor lunch featuring local entrees and a greeting from Ed Morgan, the mayor of Abingdon, who declared May 15 annual National Trails Day in Abingdon. This showcase provided an excellent opportunity for both Scenic and Historic Trails partners to observe interactive storytelling techniques applicable to all trails.
Dinner that evening featured a live musical performance by local Appalachian heritage music ensemble, Fire in the Kitchen.
Monday, May 16
Monday was the first day of workshop track sessions. The day opened with a Federal plenary on the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Panelists included Steve Elkinton, National Park Service, Eugenie Bostrum, DOI Office of Youth, Joel Holtrop Deputy Secretary of the US Forest Service and Carl Rountree, Director of the National Landscape Conservation System, Bureau of Land Management.
Lynn Scarlett, former Deputy Secretary of Interior, gave the keynote lunch presentation (far left). Trails Basics workshop sessions offered learning opportunities for those looking to gain an overview understanding of the NTS. The Trail Corridor Protection Working Dinner included participation by over half of conference attendee. Steve Elkinton led the workshop, which included discussion groups and guest presenters from individual trails highlighting their approaches and successes. Participants had opportunities to network and learn how to protect their trails.
Tuesday, May 17
Tuesday featured five mobile workshops. A full-day bus trip to many sites along the Overmountain Victory Trail was organized by Paul Carson, the NPS superintendant of the Trail (shown below), who brought in guests speakers at different points along the trail to discuss the processes involved in protecting and interpreting the OVT. Special thanks to the many OVTA volunteers who were willing to volunteer their time to bring these sites alive for the mobile workshop attendees.
John O’Dell and Eleanor Grasselli of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy led mobile workshops on the Appalachian Trail, with John demonstrating exotic species management (see opposite page, top middle photo) and Eleanor giving a general overview of flora and fauna native to the area.
Despite intermittent rain and heavy skies, the mobile workshop biking along the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail was still a success, and participants of both that workshop and a half-day workshop in Damascus, VA learned about the economic impact of trails in “Trail Town USA”.
In the evening, Julia Washburn, Chief of Interpretation for the National Park Service (below left), gave a truly inspiring presentation, Serving 21st Century Learners.
Wednesday, May 18
The last day of conference included the final two workshop track sessions and a plenary session lead by the contingent of youth scholarship recipients.
The youth presented in a panel format and then rotated through small roundtable groups of conference participants to discuss ideas about youth initiatives with trail leaders. (See following page describing youth scholarship program.)
The concluding evening featured the traditional PNTS conference banquet awards dinner (see column at right) and auction to support the Partnership for the National Trails System. Kaleo Paik of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association opened dinner with a traditional Hawaiian prayer, and a stirring speech was presented by the Reverend Doak.
Conference hosts, including the Town of Abingdon, the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, were lauded for their assistance with the conference.
The evening concluded with the auction, enthusiastically led by Leo Rasmussen of the Iditarod and Alan Bowen of the OVT.
Young Adult Trails Apprentices Shine at National Trails Conference
The 13th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Conference welcomed 24 Youth Scholarship recipients to the trails community. Coming from a myriad of academic backgrounds and life experiences, the National Trails System brought these young scholars together and will undoubtedly connect them into the future. Looking out into the forest of faces during the opening ceremony, one could delight in seeing both the smiling faces of our newest and most senior members of the trails community!
The conference themes of Environmental Health, Economic Health, Human Health, and Educational Health were echoed strongly in academic, professional, and personal interests of our scholarship recipients. During the Youth Plenary Session, participants left with a closing promise that the next generation of America is dedicated to pursuing environmental, economic, human, and environmental health in such a way that they are not mutually exclusive. Many of the participants have already expressed interest in mentoring the trail scholars of the future and facilitating the 2013 scholarship program. Their work in the trails community and in the pursuit of environmental, economic, human and educational health is to be highlighted here in the Pathways magazine in each issue in the “Spotlight on Trails Apprentices” section.
One unique aspect of the Trails Apprentice program at this conference was the continued participation of 2009 Trails Apprentices. Scholarship recipients who attended the 12th Conference in Missoula, MT assisted with some of the planning for the youth program for Abingdon, and six trails apprentices who attended in Missoula were able to attend this year. Youth also helped with many conference functions. Marshall Alford, one of the Trails Apprentices previously featured in Pathways, was recognized during the conference for his recent college graduation and new position with the US Forest Service attained in part due to his extensive involvement with National Trails.
Thank you to our federal partners who committed their time and resources to making the Youth Scholar Program possible, including the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Federal Highway Administration. The trails community has already shown itself to be richer for it and will continue to do so as we grow in time from the empassioned youth to the wisened elders who are championing the National Trails System and all its natural, cultural, scenic, and historic resources into the future.
Submitted by Megan Eno, US Forest Service, Florida National Scenic Trail.
Benefits of Connecting Healthy National Scenic and Historic Trails to Healthy Communities
In 2010, throughout the many America’s Great Outdoors public listening sessions, the Bureau of Land Management’s events celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the National Landscape Conservation System, and other forums we emphasized how our national scenic and historic trails pass through or close to 100 of the metropolitan areas of 50,000 or more people in America. Our 13th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Trails this spring in Abingdon, Virginia provided an opportunity to explore those connections and the benefits scenic and historic trails bring to and gain from those 100 larger and the hundreds of smaller communities along their routes.
In Abingdon and nearby Damascus we heard from mayors and saw firsthand the economic and social benefits that the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail bring to their respective communities. In Damascus many of us participated in a small town’s big festival celebrating hiking on the Appalachian Trail while in Abingdon we experienced how the Overmountain Victory Trail Association brings the Revolutionary War history of that place alive. In workshops during the 13th Trails Conference we learned more about the economic benefits that heritage and eco tourism bring to communities with trails, how doctors in Cuba, New Mexico are prescribing hiking on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail to improve the health of their patients, and the ways that Kansas City’s rich heritage of five national historic trails is being woven into the hundreds of miles of trails and greenways of the Metro Green System. Similarly we saw how the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is both providing close to home hiking and restoration of native southern Wisconsin prairie and savanna ecosystems in an ecological trail corridor.
One workshop track focused on the opportunities and benefits our scenic and historic trails provide for captivating and memorable educational experiences for people of all ages. We have reported in PATHWAYS and begun to catalog in our Youth Programs of the National Trails System reports some of the tremendously successful educational programs underway along our trails. Among them are the Pacific Northwest Trail Association’s SKY program, Ice Age Trail Summer Saunters, the Chesapeake Conservancy’s Youth Summer Camps, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s pioneering Trail to Every Classroom that has been adapted to the Iditarod Trail, the Nez Perce Trail annual “Chief Joseph Trail Ride”, the two week annual reenactment of the Campaign to Kings Mountain by the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, and the “Santa Fe Trail Trips” featured in this issue.
This impressive list and the other activities we have archived, including the many service learning programs routinely occurring along our trails, comprise a significant benefit that our trails bring to communities along them and the Nation as a whole. Unfortunately the educational value of the scenic and historic trails is greatly under-appreciated. Collectively we need to do a much better job of informing the people of those communities and the opinion leaders of our states and country about this wonderful service and the tremendous benefits we as a community of trail stewards provide by inspiring and engaging children, youth, and adults in appreciating the historical, cultural, and natural heritage of our Nation.
We also should redouble our efforts to build upon the good work already begun to fully realize the educational potential still mostly latent in our scenic and historic trails. Our successful programs should be expanded to communities and to groups that have not yet participated in them and we should keep experimenting with new ways of telling our trails’ stories. We should seek funding to support our efforts in both the educational and health care realms. We should make the National Trails System as well known and appreciated for its educational values as it is for its scenic, recreational, and historic values.
Through the 13th National Trails Conference we were inspired by examples of creative and beneficial connections between our trails and some of the communities through which they pass. We were shown possible ways to strengthen and expand those connections and were given good reasons to do so. You can share in what we learned by browsing through the reports and pictures from the 13th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Trails posted on the Partnership’s website: www.pnts.org